Happy Halloween you soul suckers…
Is your Halloween playlist super lame? You’ve come to the right place and if you’re tired of the “Monster Mash,” this playlist is for you. The editor (that’s me) ransacked their collection of vinyl, CDs, and personal playlists to deliver this hauntingly good set. You don’t have to be goth to appreciate it, but it certainly makes life easier.
As with all posts of this nature, this is a SUBJECTIVE playlist. If you don’t like it, that’s fine, go make your own playlist. Now: back to spooky business: Here is BTN!M’s 2024 Halloween playlist: The Editor’s Edition.
Alien Sex Fiend- “Now I’m Feeling Zombified”
You should feel zombified between October 1st and the Day of the Dead (or even better, 24/7). This track has been sprinkled on alt Halloween playlists before, and for good reason.
The Cure-“Charlotte Sometimes”
In my opinion, “Charlotte Sometimes” is an underrated track by The Cure and one of the best. Look no further if you need something to listen to while wandering your haunted halls in your FOXBLOOD robe.
The Cramps- “I was a Teenage Werewolf”
The Cramps went viral recently thanks to that trending Wednesday dance, BUT they deserve it. The Cramps have a treasure trove of songs to slap onto your Halloween playlist that doesn’t include “Goo Goo Muck.” Like, ya know, this one.
Cocteau Twins-“Blood Bitch” and “Wax and Wane”
Want more ghostly tunes? I thought so. You can’t get more ethereal than the Cocteau Twins singing about some moon-witch shit and a blood sacrifice (actually, you can, but whatever). It doesn’t matter that you can’t always hear what Elizabeth Fraser is singing about, but it might help to Google the lyrics to “Blood Bitch” and “Wax and Wane” if your ears don’t work.
45 Grave-“Phantoms”
Man, IDK it’s fucking 45 Grave. Honestly, you could play the entire Sleep in Safety album and not bother with a Halloween playlist. For a little more razzle-dazzle, add “Fucked by the Devil” and you will win Halloween. (What…too much?)
Switchblade Symphony-“Witches”
Pitch perfect Switchblade Symphony has several songs to choose from. With lyrics like “Monsters they eat/your kind of meat”—I think “Witches” takes the proverbial brew.
Siouxsie and the Banshees-“Halloween” and “Candyman”
“Halloween” by Siouxsie and the Banshees is self-explanatory. As for “Candyman,” well…a song about steering clear of masked pretenders with candy is a hell of a lot more frightening, don’t you think?
The Misfits-“Ghoul’s Night Out”
Before it was a hashtag, “Ghouls Night Out” was a song by The Misfits, *ahem, instagoths, ahem.* Yes, The Misfits also have a song, “Halloween,” but where’s the fun in making a playlist that easy? Just make sure you ask your mommy if you can go out and kill tonight before curfew. *BTN!M does not condone violence; this should be a no-brainer, but people no longer have a sense of humor or frame of cultural reference, so this stupid asterisk needs to exist. *
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds-“Up Jumped the Devil”
A ballad about the baddest Johnny who was born with the devil’s stake on his soul. Naturally, our narrator slips into a life of crime and vice, leading him to the gallow tree where the devil awaits…(if that’s your spiritual jam).
Lebanon Hanover-“Midnight Creature”
When it comes to what the TikTok generation now calls “trad goth,” Europe has always done it better in both music and style. And Lebanon Hanover is one of a handful of bands that has done it the best. “Midnight Creature” sounds like the drones of a depressed, distressed, and isolated creation locked in Dr. Frankenstein’s cellar. Perfect for a Halloween playlist.
Cinema Strange-“Moundshroud”
I’ll still go to battle and die on the hill that Cinema Strange is the best deathrock revival band of the 2000s. So, grab your trick-or-treat bag; Lucas Lanthier and company are a deranged treat.
Scary Bitches-“Hey Mr. Vampyre”
What’s a Halloween playlist without some solid vampire songs? (not the sparkling kind). I wanna sleep all day and party all night too…but I have a toddler.
Concrete Blonde-“Bloodletting”
Honestly, this is a classic all on its own. Bring out your Poppy Z. Brite novels and your clove cigarettes, you’ve got a lot to think about.
Diamanda Galás-“La Llorona”
This is where it gets serious. This is the most haunting version of “La Llorena” I have ever heard—and the most beautiful, harrowing song on this entire Halloween playlist. Leave it to Diamanda. Play at your discretion.
Sexgang Children-“Cannibal Queen”
“Eat your children/baked in a pie” may not be the lyrics to “Cannibal Queen,” (that’s “Sebastiane,” an honorable mention btw) but Andi Sexgang (the original GOTH, thank you very much) is well stocked with goblin lyrics—like “the best dressed corpse I’d even seen”—wait, wut?
Specimen-“Dead Man’s Autochop”
R.I.P. Olli Wisdom.*sigh* The great thing about Specimen is that they knew how to not take themselves TOO seriously, something a lot of bands fail to do. But you should absolutely take Specimen seriously. Especially since that deathhawk you love so much was made popular by Jonny Melton (aka Jonny Slut).
Bauhaus-“Lilies and Remains”
It’s always “Bela Lugosi” this and “Bela Lugosi” that. But Bauhaus has a lot more to offer, like this track that puts the fun in funerary nightmare tracks.
Einstürzende Neubaten-“Der Tod ist ein dandy”
Hey, death probably is a dandy. You could toss any Neubauten song on your Halloween playlist and let Blixa’s cat-tearing voice screech until your blood runs cold while listening to the sounds of power drills being thrown into a blender. All of which is a compliment.
Happy Halloween you soul suckers! Our Halloween playlist is available on Spotify!
*Cover photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash